University of Oxford

Bumblebee pollen collection is a costly affair

Pollen is an essential nutrient used by bees to rear their larvae and, minimally, for adult nutrition [1 ].Across bee species, females have evolved several different methods for collecting pollen, typically using movements of their fore, mid

Redefining fuel poverty: Introducing the temporal equity framework (TEF)

The definition and quantification of fuel (or energy) poverty remain contentious, particularly within the English policy landscape. The current official definition—Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE)—systematically underestimates the condition in low- and middle-income house...

Where is the evidence? A global systematic review of sanitation system resilience to climate hazards

Despite sustained efforts over several decades, no region is projected to achieve universal sanitation access by 2030, according to international monitoring frameworks. Climate change is increasingly disrupting human and ecological systems, in turn deepening existing inequalities...

Serological and transcriptomic response of African fruit bats to immune challenge with recombinant vaccines expressing Ebola or Nipah virus antigens

Abstract Bats are hosts to diverse zoonotic viruses which can cause high case fatality rates in humans. Since detecting viruses in bats is difficult, antibodies are often used for surveillance, though their significance remains unclear in the absence of in vivo immunological stud...

A conceptual methodological approach for addressing complex interdisciplinary challenges

Abstract Complex challenges are multi-faceted and, therefore, require the input of knowledge and expertise from different disciplines. However, the prevailing structures of academic institutions tend to be based on specialized disciplinary knowledge and expertise, rather than cro...

Intensive vs Standard Blood Pressure Lowering in People With and Without Chronic Kidney Disease

Importance There is uncertainty about the effects of intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering on risks of cardiovascular disease and kidney failure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Objective To assess the standardized effects of intensive BP lowering on cardiovascular...

Human microglia clear intraneuronal α-synuclein aggregates by GPNMB-mediated trogocytosis

Microglia are the primary immune cells of the brain, but their role in Parkinson’s disease is not fully understood. Chronic microglial activation is toxic to neurons, but in the early stages of pathology, microglia also exert beneficial functions. We used induced pluripotent stem...

Transitional High-Al to Intermediate-Cr Podiform Chromitites from Wadi Zikt (Khor Fakkan Block, United Arab Emirates): Evidence for Reactive Melt Percolation during Nascent Forearc Evolution

Abstract Podiform chromitites at Wadi Zikt in the Khor Fakkan Block of the United Arab Emirates constitute a previously undescribed occurrence within the mantle section of the Semail ophiolite. We combine field relations, electron-probe microanalysis, in situ LA–ICP–MS mineral an...

Validating the theory-informed Tests of Aptitude for Language Learning (TALL) as predictors of L2 proficiency: Initial evidence from multiple regression analyses

Abstract Tests of Aptitude for Language Learning (TALL) is a newly developed battery for L1 Chinese speakers that operationalizes language aptitude based on the early stages of Skehan’s (2016) Stages Approach through parallel aural and written suites. Each suite comprises subtest...

Benefits and Harms of Herbal Medicines for Preventing and Treating Acute Respiratory Infections: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

ABSTRACT Hundreds of herbal medicines are currently marketed for the management of acute respiratory infections (ARIs). However, there is uncertainty about their benefits and harms, and clinical guidance remains unclear. Our objective was to evaluate the benefits and harms of her...

Controlling Nonadiabatic Transitions through Engineered Ultrafast Laser Fields at Conical Intersections

Abstract In this paper, we investigate the coherent control of nonadiabatic dynamics at a conical intersection (CI) using engineered ultrafast laser pulses. Within a model vibronic system, we tailor the pulse chirp and temporal profile and compute the resulting wave packet popula...

DHODH is the key target of the KDM4 inhibitor QC6352 in glioblastoma stem cells

Abstract Histone lysine demethylase 4 (KDM4) enzymes are frequently overexpressed in cancer and are considered to be promising therapeutic targets. QC6352, which is widely used as a best-in-class KDM4 chemical probe, shows potent antitumor activity across cancer models. Using com...

Understanding students’ perceived source of effort: Bridging effort source belief and effort attribution

Learners’ perceptions of the source of study effort have been increasingly recognised as relevant for understanding how study effort informs judgments of learning (JoLs). This correlational study examined effort source belief (ESB) as a trait-like construct, measured using vignet...

Thermodynamic Control of Excitation Transport Regimes in Nanocrystal Solids

Abstract Controlling excitation transport is central to the operation of light-harvesting and light-emitting devices based on nanocrystal films. Exciton diffusion is typically described as hopping through a homogeneous medium; however, even highly monodisperse nanocrystal ensembl...

Machine learning models to predict low birth weight in the Kenyan Coast

Low birth weight (LBW, < 2500 g) is associated with poor outcomes across multiple domains of child development. Predicting high-risk pregnancies for LBW will therefore enable timely intervention. We aimed to develop and internally validate machine learning models to predict LBW i...

Maternal healthcare quality, continuity, and experiences among pregnant adolescents and adult women in Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa: A cohort study

The capacity of health systems to provide quality care for pregnant adolescents remains underexplored. This study examined the quality, continuity, and experiences of maternal healthcare among pregnant adolescents (<20 years) compared with adult women (20 + years) in Ethiopia, Ke...

Appendices for Family Constellations for All Clinical Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Showing a Lack of Supporting Evidence

Public appendices for the first systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials on Family Constellation Therapy.

Model similarity cues cultural selection of ritualized actions

Previous research suggests that ritualistic imitation is affiliative, functioning as a re-inclusion behaviour in response to ostracism threat. The Bifocal Stance Theory (BST) predicts that model similarity activates affiliative motivations and increases adoption of ritualized tra...

Convergence of Martingales via Enriched Dagger Categories

Abstract We provide a categorical proof of convergence for martingales and backward martingales in mean, using enriched category theory. The enrichment we use is in topological spaces, with their canonical closed monoidal structure, which encodes a version of pointwise convergenc...

The Everything-is-a-Quantum-Wave Interpretation of Quantum Physics

I outline what I think is the most natural interpretation of quantum mechanics. By natural, I simply mean that it requires the least amount of excess baggage and that it is universal in the sense that it can be consistently applied to all the observed phenomena including the univ...